THE ULTIMATE 'FINAL FANTASY': 'XII' will be revered even when the PS2 is obsolete

2:10 AM,
Dec. 3, 2006

Written by

OMARI GARDNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Final Fantasy XII" -- what's likely to be the final "Final Fantasy" for the PlayStation 2 -- is the best the system has seen yet.

In the land of Ivalice, the mighty Archadian empire is tearing through its neighbors, including the small kingdom of Dalmasca. The Dalmascan king is killed, and the nation is subjugated under a new rule.

You play Vaan, an orphaned slum youth whose only surviving relative -- his brother -- was killed during Dalmasca's last stand. Vaan, fed up with the new imperial rule, sneaks into the royal palace to take back some of the ill-gotten treasure. During this stunt, Vaan ...